Drafting of a New Constitution – Electoral Process in the digital age will be more democratic with “instant public polling on each issue!”

Sri Lankan youth have embraced the Digital Media, and a Smartphone today is the first purchase one would make from a paycheck or a cash gift. Actually we seem to be obsessed with mobile phones, whose penetration is such that there have been more sim cards issued than there are people living in the Island!

So within 10 years smart phone penetration will be universal. LISTEN by then NO ONE will want to go anywhere near a POLLING BOOTH. THEY WILL want to express their opinion via Smartphone, and by then, with fingerprint  verification, we can use the Smartphone as the MOST FOOL PROOF to prevent identity theft of any mode of voting, and ALL FOREIGN RESIDING CITIZENS CAN VOTE ON AN ISSUE BASIS FROM THEIR MOBILE PHONE WHEREVER THEY MAY BE ON EARTH, and perhaps even from the moon if they so happen to have gone on a trip there!

This is serious stuff, which anyone under 25 today, knows to be true, and those above may think it is Sci Fi! What does this mean? PARLIAMENT IS IRRELEVENT for passing ACTS, as the people will decide immediately on each issue of National Importance. Parliamentarians will be there merely to look after the interests of their constituents, and they will only do it for altruistic and NOT personal gain, as their power vested in them will be so limited, that all will be just one term parliamentarians.

LEAPFROGGING is the operative word for Sri Lanka. We will skip generations, and be the first country on earth to go direct to people’s choice voting on major issues. Results will be instantaneous and NOT fraudulent as NO human hand will intercede. Computer gilmarts will be history as there will sufficient safeguards to prevent the possibility in voting.

Government as such will be irrelevant in a person’s life, unlike it is today, and therefore there will definitely be less government, and more discipline, where all Govt. servants will be held to account, on the work they are assigned, and will be paid for performance, just as much as in the Private Sector. In this scenario, we must set up our Government structure, that is in tune with this eventuality, and not a barrier to its enactment, which will only slow the pace of democratization and development.

The name of the game will be efficiency, so there are no time wasters and all elections will be held in one day, maximize consistency and digital voting will be inclusive, so all citizens wherever they may be will able to exercise their franchise. Politics as a career will be a thing of the past, so plan accordingly.